Ramzi Salti's Arabology

Tania Saleh 's superb new video clip "Wehde" was released to coincide with the Lebanese singer's new CD which is available for sale/downloading a at http://forwardmusic.net/music/wehde For the lyrics in Arabic, please scroll down. For more on Tania Saleh and her new album Wehde, please see http://taniasaleh.com/wehde/ Lyrics to "Wehde" single:

Here is the link to my latest podcast (Thursday April 21) of "Hi keefak Ça Va?" (Episode 5) in case you feel like grooving to great Arabic/French/English beats. In addition to the usual music mélange, this episode includes an interview with Joshua Asen, Co-Director of the film "I Love Hip Hop in Morocco ," and audio readings (by Hamed Sinno and Rosette Elghossain from " Fetish Systems ," a daring new book by Lebanese author Raafat Majzoub. The show also includes a tribute to Helem and features a daring new song by Mashrou' Leila plus the usual music mixing and matching in Arabic/French/English To listen/download the show (2 Parts), please click on the link below then click on the arrows on the bottom right of that page (right click to save): http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/51214 If the link above doesn't work, click on the links below to listen: Part ONE: Click HERE Part TWO: Click HERE PLAYLIST FOR EPISODE 5: also av

Google Excec Turned Revolutionary Wael Ghonim will speak at Stanford University this Friday.  The event is presented by  The Muslim Student Awareness Network (MSAN). Wael Ghonim: On Revolution and The Future of Egypt THIS Friday, April 22nd at 7:15 pm Cubberley Auditorium, Stanford University ( http://campus-map.stanford.edu/index.cfm?ID=03-300 ) followed by insights from Dr. Ossama Hassanein of TechWadi on initiatives to move Egypt forward Founder of the Facebook group that first called for demonstrations on January 25, Wael Ghonim has become one of the leading voices of the Egyptian revolution. His emotional interview after twelve days of incarceration by the Mubarak regime revitalized the democratic movement. Come hear his story and perspective on the ongoing revolution and future of Egypt. Want to read more about Wael Ghonim? http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/02/09/husain.ghonim/

‎ Tania Saleh 's long anticipated album  Wehde  is being released on April 21, 2011 at Kahwet Imm Nazih, Saifi Urban Gardens, on April 21, 2011 from 5 to 9 P.M. If you are in Lebanon, do not miss this!!!! Check out Tania Saleh's Facebook Page at  http://www.facebook.com/taniasaleh

The Podcast from my latest show "Hi Keefak Ça Va?" Episode 4 (which aired yesterday April 14) is available for free downloading! Go to this link then click on the arrows on the bottom right of the page to listen (right-click to save the MP3 file(s) to your computer). Thanks for your support! http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/51037 If the link above doesn't work for you you can listen directly by clicking on the 2 link below: PART 1: http://tinyurl.com/3wt3fam PART 2 : http://tinyurl.com/4284ef3 DJ Ramzi PLAYLIST: Hi, Keefak, Ça Va? DJ: Ramzi S. Thurs, 14 April 2011 1600 - 1800 Artist/Track/Album/Label PART 1 1. Fairuz/ El Bint El Shalabiyah/ Best of Fairuz/ EMI Arabia 2. Cake/ Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps/ Welcome to Woop Woop/ Universal Records 3. Ramy Ayach and Abeer Nehme/ Belaaks/ Belaaks/ Oreole Records 4. Maryam Saleh/ Wahdi/ Single/ Unreleased 5. Mashrou' Leila/ Fasateen/ Mashrou' Leila/ B-Root Productions 6. Rousan, Yazan And A

This two part report on the ultra hip Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila was produced by Greyscale Films and available on aramram.com PART ONE OF TWO PART TWO OF TWO

Ahmad Abdalla’s " Microphone " is screening as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 22, 24, 27. For info, tickets: http://fest11.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=60 FILM REVIEW BY BENJAMIN FRIEDLAND: http://fest11.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=60 Ahmad Abdalla’s thrilling second feature is a tribute to Egyptian underground art, especially music, but also graffiti, independent film and really any kind of creative expression. It’s both a love and hate letter to Alexandria and its thriving youth movement. The film follows a number of local scenesters but focuses mainly on Khaled, an engineer recently back in Alexandria after several years in America. He’s finding the transition tough: His former girlfriend has moved on and his job can’t keep his interest. He is a music fan, however, and his dream of putting on a concert leads him to a world of DIY musicians, artists and filmmakers. This crew provides the film’s backbone—and soundtrack. Gr

See  http://www.timeoutbeirut.com/photos?AlbumID=227#  for original article plus many more pics from the event. Picture of Raafat Majzoub from Time Out Beirut.  All Rights Reserved.  Beirut, Lebanon-- Raafat Majzoub, author of Fetish Systems, recently signed copies of his book at  Zico House , Spears Street, Sanayeh - Beirut. The book signing was accompanied by live music, party and drinks. Click here for my review of this groundbreaking book. The best way to order this book is via this link .

This article by Jane O'Brien just appeared on the BBC News website. To read the entire article, please go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13017564?ref=nf#story_continues_1 Century-old Book of Khalid sheds light on Arab unrest By Jane O'Brien, BBC News, Washington 9 April 2011 Ameen Rihani met the kings and leaders of his day On the 100th anniversary of The Book of Khalid, the first English-language novel written by an Arab, the work seems remarkably relevant to the popular uprisings sweeping the Middle East today. The Book of Khalid was written by Ameen Rihani, a respected Arab-American intellectual who was born in Lebanon in 1876. It is the story of two Lebanese friends who migrate to New York. The hero, Khalid, begins his new life peddling religious trinkets. He adopts a bohemian lifestyle, but comes to reject America's consumerism and returns to Lebanon to find spiritual satisfaction. The book offers important insight into the complexity

(PALESTINE/U.S. | 2008 | 83′ min | DigiBeta, Betasp or HDCAM | Color | Arabic, English & Hebrew | Subtitles available in English, Arabic, French) The documentary Slingshot Hip Hop screened at Stanford University on April 7, 2011 as part of part of the "Global Hip Hop Cultures" series that is organized by Professor H. Samy Alim through Stanford's Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA).  The documentary braids together the stories of young Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. From internal checkpoints and Separation Walls to gender norms and generational differences, this is the story of young people crossing the borders that separate them. In attendance was the film's Director Jackie Salloum who participated in an extensive Q&A session following the screening of her movie and answered dozens of questions by Stanford studen

Hani Mitwasi Hani Mitwasi, whose latest album is filled with heartfelt songs that are worthy of his amazing vocals, has unofficially released a hilariously irreverent song (not included on the CD) about a man who leads his life the way he wants and without giving a hoot about what anyone says. Here is a video of the uncensored version of the song followed by the lyrics in Arabic (along with my rough English translation) as well the transliterated Arabic lyrics (so you can sing along in Arabic even if you don't know what the words mean). Finally, I have included a live version of the song in which the singer--but not his audience--glosses over the risqué verses while performing live in concert. Click on the video screen below to listen to the song then slowly scroll down to follow the lyrics The picture above looks explicit but it is only a guy wearing a painted towel I am a bad guy and I don't give a hoot  أنا زلمه سيّء و غير مبالي  That's how God made me وهي

The movie Three Veils finished its initial bay area run by closing at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco on  April 10, 2011 to a sold out audience.  The screening, which was part of the San Francisco Women's Film Festival ,  was followed by a Q & A session with the film's Director, Rolla Selbak, Producer Ahmad Zahra ( Zahra Pictures ), and actors Sheetal Sheth , Angela Zahra , and Garen Boyajian . Superbly acted, written and executed, Three Veils is a poignant film that follows the stories of three young Middle-Eastern women living in the U.S, each with her own secret. As the three stories unfold, the lives of these three women intertwine as they each struggle to defy tradition and create their own realities.     My recommendation?  Don't miss this very daring, addictive and beautifully told story and run to the nearest theater in which it is screening; you won't regret it.  More on www.threeveilsmovie.com Here is the film t

I was interviewed in this article for The National by reporter Zoi Constatine (see last 3 paragraphs). Lebanon's online hit Shankaboot wins Digital Emmy Award Zoi Constantine BEIRUT // When Katia Saleh was brainstorming for an interactive web series aimed at depicting life in Lebanon , she had a wish list of topics to explore. As the Middle East's first web drama started to take shape in 2009, Ms Saleh, the producer, wanted to be able to tackle controversial issues, such as sexuality, corruption, drugs and violence against domestic workers. "We wanted to target the internet-addicted youth in the Arab world in general and talk about things they've not seen anywhere else," she said. Now, less than two years on, 600,000 views on YouTube and 22,000 Facebook fans later, the Shankaboot web series has grown into something far bigger than even the show's creators could have imagined. On Monday night Shankaboot won an International Digital Emmy Award for be

"Daw L Baladiyyi ' is the first single from the Lebanese band Adonis' first studio album, to be released in July 2011. Directed by Robert Cremona, written and composed by Anthony Khoury, recorded and mixed at Tunefork Recording Studios. Adonis is Joey Abou Jawdeh, William Bou Hamad, Patrick Dleptany, Nicola Hakim, Anthony Khoury & Fabio Khoury. Adonis is a collaboration between six Lebanese musicians with a very diverse and eclectic baggage of musical influences. The band got together in summer 2010, and has been ever since experimenting with language and music, composing and recording, in a constant search for an authentic sound that would highly appeal to the local popular culture, and yet maintain its artistic integrity and vision. Anthony Khoury - piano & vocals Joey Abou Jawdeh - guitars & backing vocals Patrick Dleptany - drums William Bou Hamad - bass guitar Fabio Khoury - synths Niccola Hakim - percussions

Watch all websodes of Shankaboot on YouTube at  THIS LINK . I was interviewed about the Shankaboot Web series by reporter Aline Sara for this piece which has just appeared in "Now Lebanon." Ramzi Salti Last winter, when Ahmed Zaki became the 20,000th fan of the Shankaboot’s official Facebook page, the cast and crew of the Arab world’s first web series rewarded him with some “shankin” paraphernalia. “We sent him a few t-shirts and USBs,” said Arek Dakessian, who manages all things related to Shankaboot’s online social media. “We make it a point to not only respond to our fans, but to also entertain them.”Shankaboot Producer Katia Saleh told NOW Extra during a phone interview that this type of entertainment is exactly the reason why the BBC World Service Trust and Batoota Films landed a nomination for the category of Best Fiction Program at the sixth International Digital Emmy Awards, which is taking place in Cannes on Monday. Shakaboot will be competing against three other pro

Whilst the idea of a flash mob isn't a new thing, a Dabke / Hip-Hop flash mob in Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (Beirut Duty Free) at a time when the region is in flux is certainly a first. On March 5th, 2011, passengers experienced something a little different. A flash mob performed a mix of Dabke and hip-hop to entertain and delight passengers and airport staff alike. M&C Saatchi and Beirut Duty Free, created this vibrant event as part of their "Take Back More." campaign. The aim was to literally create a wonderful memory of Lebanon that passengers could take with them on their journey.